Welcome to Moldova.
We’ve officially stepped back in time, especially when it comes to where we go to the bathroom. We are currently in Cornesti, Moldova with Team SWAT, serving with a local church and living somewhat like we did in Africa.
We visit homes and take food to some amazing babushkas.
We play with the kids from the church.
And the boys are working hard digging wells, chopping wood and building a home for some beavers.
We’ve officially stepped back in time, especially when it comes to where we go to the bathroom. We are currently in Cornesti, Moldova with Team SWAT, serving with a local church and living somewhat like we did in Africa.
We visit homes and take food to some amazing babushkas.
We play with the kids from the church.
And the boys are working hard digging wells, chopping wood and building a home for some beavers.
My teammate Christine has some interesting thoughts on the town we are currently in… She is allowing me to share them with all of you.
” 
We are in Moldova – one of the poorest countries in Eastern Europe.
We’ve been doing farm work including pulling carrots, weeding, and
chopping down grape vines and trees. We’ve also been putting together
care packages for the poor in the community, bringing potatoes,
rice,…etc along with praying for them. The men in our group has built
two buildings for the breeding of beavers (a source of income here) and
have dug a well. We’ve also been running a children program consisting
of songs, games, and stories.
We are in Moldova – one of the poorest countries in Eastern Europe.
We’ve been doing farm work including pulling carrots, weeding, and
chopping down grape vines and trees. We’ve also been putting together
care packages for the poor in the community, bringing potatoes,
rice,…etc along with praying for them. The men in our group has built
two buildings for the breeding of beavers (a source of income here) and
have dug a well. We’ve also been running a children program consisting
of songs, games, and stories.
This town we are in reminds me of the song “Boulevard of Broken
Dreams” and looks like a ghost town. There are only a few small
buildings- used clothing store and small grocery stores yet it is one
of the larger towns in the community. The streets are completely empty
and people live far apart from each other.
Dreams” and looks like a ghost town. There are only a few small
buildings- used clothing store and small grocery stores yet it is one
of the larger towns in the community. The streets are completely empty
and people live far apart from each other.
Social norms are very strong here (and maintained through saving
face, shame, false responsibility, fear, gender roles…etc) so there
isn’t much freedom to express yourself and your desires. For instance,
there is the expectation to get married by the age of 19 and no later
than the age of 23 otherwise there’s no chance of ever getting married
here. It’s been difficult for me to adjust here because maintaining
traditions and culture as means of control seems to be more important
than liberty in this community. Of course, we’ve experienced this in
other countries we’ve been in, but in those places- there were legal,
economic, or physical penalties for doing certain things whereas most
of the punishment here is social ostracism. I’m not saying that this
doesn’t happen in the states as well, but our value for individualism
and pursuing our dreams is so freeing relative to Moldova. Some
communities here are trying to move away from legalism, but there is
still a long way to go.”
face, shame, false responsibility, fear, gender roles…etc) so there
isn’t much freedom to express yourself and your desires. For instance,
there is the expectation to get married by the age of 19 and no later
than the age of 23 otherwise there’s no chance of ever getting married
here. It’s been difficult for me to adjust here because maintaining
traditions and culture as means of control seems to be more important
than liberty in this community. Of course, we’ve experienced this in
other countries we’ve been in, but in those places- there were legal,
economic, or physical penalties for doing certain things whereas most
of the punishment here is social ostracism. I’m not saying that this
doesn’t happen in the states as well, but our value for individualism
and pursuing our dreams is so freeing relative to Moldova. Some
communities here are trying to move away from legalism, but there is
still a long way to go.”
